Dior NY Gray Flannel Two-Piece Dress
View Similar Items
Dior NY Gray Flannel Two-Piece Dress
About the Item
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 10 (US)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 26 in (66.04 cm)Shoulder to Hem: 40 in (101.6 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Alford, MA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU209880462
Christian Dior
When Christian Dior launched his couture house, in 1946, he wanted nothing less than to make “an elegant woman more beautiful and a beautiful woman more elegant.” He succeeded, and in doing so the visionary designer altered the landscape of 20th century fashion. Vintage Dior bags, shoes, evening dresses, shirts and other garments and accessories are known today for their feminine and sophisticated sensibility.
Dior was born in Granville, on the Normandy coast, in 1905. His prosperous haute bourgeois parents wanted him to become a diplomat despite his interest in art and architecture. However, they agreed to bankroll an art gallery, which Dior opened in 1928 in Paris with a friend.
This was the start of Dior’s rise in the city’s creative milieu, where he befriended Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. After seven years as an art dealer, Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for Robert Piguet, and in 1941, following a year of military service, he joined the house of Lucien Lelong. Just five years later, with the backing of industrialist Marcel Boussac, the ascendant Dior established his own fashion house, at 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Just two years after the end of World War II, the fashion crowd and the moribund haute couture industry were yearning, comme tout Paris, for security and prosperity, desperate to discard the drab, sexless, utilitarian garb imposed by wartime deprivation. They needed to dream anew.
And Dior delivered: He designed a collection for a bright, optimistic future. “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian!” exclaimed Carmel Snow, the prescient American editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, famously proclaiming, “Your dresses have such a new look.” The press ran with the description, christening Dior’s debut Spring/Summer haute couture collection the New Look. “God help those who bought before they saw Dior,” said Snow. “This changes everything.”
Dior’s collection definitively declared that opulence, luxury and femininity were in. His skirts could have 40-meter-circumference hems, and outfits could weigh up to 60 pounds. They were cut and shaped like architecture, on strong foundations that molded women and “freed them from nature,” Dior said. Rather than rationing, his ladies wanted reams of fabric and 19-inch waists enforced by wire corsets, and the fashion world concurred. The debut got a standing ovation.
In the subsequent decade, Paris ruled as the undisputed fashion capital of the world, and Christian Dior reigned as its king. With the luxuriously full skirts of his New Look, suits and his drop-dead gorgeous couture dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of war.
On 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.
- Adolfo Pinstripe ShirtdressBy AdolfoLocated in Alford, MAAdolfo 1980s navy/white pinstripe shirtdress in lightweight fabric - silk or silk blend. Buttons all the way down the front with gold "A" logo buttons that also decorate faux flap po...Category
1980s American Day Dresses
- Missoni Raspberry SundressBy MissoniLocated in Alford, MAMissoni sundress, c.1970s-'80s, with spaghetti straps and interior elastic band that gathers the fabric in at the waist. Predominantly raspberry zigzag stripe knit. Light, packable a...Category
1970s Italian Casual Dresses
- Versace Black Dress with Illusion DetailBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Alford, MAGreat LBD by Gianni Versace. Simplicity itself at first glance, until you notice the net inserts at the hipline, revealing a glimpse of skin - a little sneak of sexiness in this basi...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Day Dresses
- Bill Blass Black Wool SheathBy Bill BlassLocated in Alford, MALBD by Bill Blass can take you anywhere, dressed up or down. In black wool crepe, the simple sheath dress is distinguished by a wrap front overskirt gathered on one side. High neck a...Category
Late 20th Century American Sheath Dresses
- Kathryn Dianos Navy Maxi DressBy Kathryn DianosLocated in Alford, MALong dress in navy wool/acrylic blend featuring a long torso with metal skate hooks laced with narrow self belt, and a large sailor collar that covers the upper arms and descends to ...Category
1990s American Maxi Dresses
- Krizia Big Cat TunicBy KriziaLocated in Alford, MAKrizia black silk tunic printed with large white outline of a big cat, accented with green eyes and a red mouth. Straight, loose cut with dolman, short sleeves...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Tunics and Wrap Dresses
- Adolfo Tropical Silk Jersey Strapless Dress with Half CapeletBy AdolfoLocated in New York, NYAdolfo strapless dress with bold green, indigo and white tropical floral print. Wonderfully tailored, with fitted bodice and draped open tulip front slit above the knee for movement...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- YVES SAINT LAURENT BY TOM FORD S/S 2002 Runway Sheer Silk Two-PieceBy Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Berlin, BEThis leopard print two piece was the opening look for Yves Saint Laurent’s Spring Summer 2002 Rive Gauche collection by Tom Ford. This elegant two-piece consists of a high waisted silk pencil skirt and a zip up sleeveless silk top in a classic leopard print. This safari inspired set features beautiful details such as the YSL logo on the right side of the front of the bodice, and also embossed on the zipper. The bodice features a deep V neckline, multiple pockets on the front and drawstrings at the sides, the back features a transparent panel...Category
Early 2000s French Twin Sets
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Textured Leather Bubble DressBy Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueenLocated in Berlin, BEIncredible Alexander McQueen textured leather dress with the most amazing dramatic silhouette. This high-quality dress has the most incredible round silhouette - It is made from a textured leather and features a round neckline with beautiful seam-line details, large round puff...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses
- SAINT LAURENT BY HEDI SLIMANE 2014 Black Leather Mini DressBy Hedi Slimane for Yves Saint Laurent, Saint LaurentLocated in Berlin, BEThe most incredible leather mini-dress by Saint Laurent from 2014, designed by Hedi Slimane. This exceptional sleeveless mini dress is made from a soft lamb leather and features gor...Category
2010s French Mini Dress
- Vintage EMANUEL UNGARO Boutique 1980s DAISY Black Parallele PARIS Dress XS/SBy Emanuel UngaroLocated in Asheville, NCUngaro Boutique, Vintage 1980's, Sheer Cotton, Fully Lined, Belted, Straps Tie at Top, Five Round Buttons at Front, 2 Large Front Pockets, Daisy Floral Details on Top, Front and Bott...Category
1980s French Day Dresses
$584 Sale Price20% Off - Vintage 1940's Burgundy Corduroy Dress UK 8 US 4Located in Cheltenham, GBThis wonderful 1940's dress rendered in a deep shade of Bordeaux corduroy, is just the piece to welcome to your seasonal wardrobe. The slim V shaped neckline is framed by a simple ...Category
1940s Day Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Too Soon for the Return of ’90s Fashion? As If
There's a renewed appreciation for the era's aesthetic, perhaps most notably among millennials seeking authentic, easy style.
14 Iconic Luxury Handbags and the Stories behind Them
When the name of a bag is as well-known as its brand, you know it's a classic.